St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1887-04-26
and the Story as Told in the Newspapers
Repeated by the Various
Witnesses.
Mrs. Farnsworth and Mrs. Mead
Goth Present at the Opening
of the Case.
Attorney Erwin Opens for the De-
Tense With n Brilliant Two
Hours Speech.

yCSlClNttl W tiO 0NNiNO JNiOio NiAooSii w
decide the guilt or innocence of Mead.
While the details of the shooting were re-
cited Mead listened carefully. showing no
emotion othel than slight shaking OF the
hands. Mrs. Mead the wife of the pris-
| oner. sat on the left of her husband. look
ing calm. but by no means Indifferent. Her
| face gives signs OF considerable suffering.
and one can easily imagine from contrasting
the faces of husband and wife that the lat
| ter has been the greatest sufferer
| Attorney Erwin, pale and apparently in
different, sat behind Senator Davis and
chewed little wads CT paper while Judge
| Egan laid the case before the jury and elo-
quently urged it to consider the evidence
carefully and render verdict in accord
| ance with the weight of the crime.
! The testimony of the various witnesses
told nothing that has not been told the
public already through the columns of the
press. The statement of Mr.. Warren con-
| flicted with that of Mr.. Rogers. The
] former said the men were several feet
apart when the shot was fired, while the
| latter testified that they were clinched and
struggling. Mrs. FarnSworth, wife of the
decedent. was in court dressed in deep
mourning and after her brief examination
| departed.
! The defense will make their light on the
grounds of self defense and will attempt to
prove that Farnsworth had threatened to
kill Mead and provoked the shooting.
THE TESTIMONY.
Elmer II. Warren, 239 Western avenue,
was the first witness. He said:
| The first thing that attracted my attention
| to Mr.. Mead at the time of the shooting was
| the remark, '.You Cd d-n thief" Mr.
| Farnsworth's reply was, Have ever stolen
| from your He replied, mo, but you are a
Cd d-n thief" Farnsworth told him to
shut up and we went out upon Jackson
| street; we were gone about 10 minutes and
| returned. When we entered the hotel Mr..
| Mead was sitting near the stove and when
! we came in he rose and approached us.
| FarnSwOrth stepped aside to speak to Mead.
| Mead called him a - -. Farms
| worth told him not to repeat it. but he cid
and Farnsworth spit or blew in his face, then
stepped back and doubled up his fists.
| Mead then stepped back and Farnsworth
! said, You've got pop Mead said: Yes,
| and I'm going to use it, too moment
| later he fired the pistol. Farnsworth said:
| I'm shot,, and struck Mead blow that rem
| dered him SenSeleSS.
Cross examined Warren said: 81 have
| known Farusworth about six years. We were
warm personal friends. He had been in the
| city two days. and we met at the Merchants
| that night casually about 1890 He did not
| take drink in the Merchants on that night.
| When Farnsworth and myself left the Mer-
| chants we went to the Standard billiard hall.
|. FarnSworth drank @ whisky sour, then we re
| turned to the Merchants. l did not stop to
| take a car, for there was no car going my
way, and / knew I had ten minutes to wait.
| We, Farnsworth and myself, talked about
| what had occurred between Mead and him.
| When we retured to the hotel, as we entered.
| the first man ! saw was Frank Mead. / was
on the left side of Mr.. Farnsworth. Mead
| sat facing the Office, and turned his face to-
wards as we entered the door, and gOl
up and came towards us. Farnswort
and Mead met between the first and second
post between the Jackson street door and
| the stove. | kept my eyes fixed upon the
men as they approached each other. heard
Mr.. Mead use the language before stated.
| Mr.. FarnSworth might have said something
and not have heard him. Mead drew the
i pistol after FarnSworth had spit in his face.
| | didn't interfere between the men because
| thought I'd let them have it out themselves.
| | rushed at them when L saw Mead draw the
| revolver, and was near him when the revolver
was fired. Mead drew the pistol and raised ii
| in the air and Farnsworth rushed towards
| him, when Mead brought his hand down. Al
| the coroner's inquest 1 don't remember Of
| having said that / heard Mead say he in
tended to use the pistol.
Senator Davis-Why didn't you tell that?
Warren-I can't tell.
DdVlS-W ny QlUI you ICll II I0Su DIS Wei
as now?
The witness hesitated.
Davis-Take all the time you want, Mr.
Warren, but we would like an explanation OF
that.
Warren-I can't tell why didn't tell it.
can't remember what did say at the coro
ner's inquest. ] don't know whether sale
anything about Farnsworths retreating be-
fore Mead drew the revolver. If the QueS
ton was asked me l answered it.
Davis-What has brought this fact that
Mead said he intended to use his pistol int
your mind since the coroner's inquest?
| Warren-I don't know.
Davis-You told all they wanted you to a
the inquest, didn't you?
Warren-Yes, sir. l have no doubt tina
tine spittle from FarnsworthS mouth wen
into Mead's face.
MRS. FARNSwORTH.
Mrs. Eva Farnsworth, wife of the de-
ceased, took the stand and testified as fol
lows:
Frank Farnsworth was my husband when
he died. He died Thursday. 1 first heard Of
the shooting Wednesday.
Characterization:
Senator Davis-Mrs. Farnsworth, were yor
in Mandan when you heard of the shooting
of your husband?
Mrs. Farnsworth-Yes, sir.
Davis-That's all.
Dr.. j. I'll. Murphy, who attended Farms
worth on the night he was shot, was the mex
witness called. His testimony was in sub
stalce as follows:
The wound was a fatal one. 1t tore large
hole in the bowels, passed through the pelvi
bone and lodged near the skin. The bal
probably struck the back bone and glanced
1t takes but little thing to turn bullet.
| Mr. Erwin drew diagram purporting t,
show the angle at which the ball had entered
the abdomen of the deceased, which was a
an angle of about forty-fve degrees, and tn
doctor said that the angle. in his estimation
was nearly correct.
|7o,W. B. Rogers, a commercial traveller re
siding in Milwaukee, was called to the chat
and testified as follows:
| was sitting in the rotunda of the Mer
chants on the night that the murder occurred
| My attention was attracted to Mr.. Mead b.
his kicking and moving the chairs around.
| noticed that he seemed to be uneasy. Prett
, soon he sat down facing the Office and sue
denly turned towards the Jackson street er
trance, where saw two gentlemen coming il
| Mead arose and went toward these mer
Farnsworth, I suppose it was, separate
from his companion and walked to NEE
{ Mead. They met and couversed in a low ton
of voice and I could not hear what the
, said. Then / beard one of the men say de
mand it, and then the reply i do Then
heard noise that sounded like person spi
ting, and saw Mr.. Mead put his hand in hi
, pocket. MIR. tarnSWortn SAID Y on We got
pop,' and Mead said Yes and I'm going
use it, too. Then the men struggled. As
r remember it, the pistol at the time of til
, | struggle was up near Farnsworth heart, an
p in the struggle it was pressed down. Afte
the shot was fired Farnsworth said, My Coz
what will become of my wife and children?
CrOSS-eXamined:
7 SIT looked as though Farnsworth was stru,
] Cling to get something away from Meat
4 | What it was I couldn't say, but / suppose
was pistol. I think Mr.. Farnsworth presse
down the hand of Mead
At this point in Rogers testimony th
= court adjourned until o'clock p. M.